Unbound
by Deadly Undead -Crynn
Summary: "Don't let me down, Dragonborn." Ulfric said, turning away to leave. Cynn froze, her eyes glued to the back of his head. How did he know? Ulfric/Listener of Dark Brotherhood OC
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Elder Scrolls series, or any of the characters from the game, or the locations.

I only own Cynn, as she is my OC, and any more original characters that might find themselves within this fanfiction.

Just as soon as she closed her bloodshot eyes, the nightmares ensued.

Fire.

Everything was on fire.

Her comerades, her home, everything. She could even see some imperial faces within the fire.

That did not ease the pain. She heard screaming.

How could she let something like this happen?

How could Astrid let something like this happen? How could she be betrayed by her own brothers, her sisters?

But there was no time to think. She had to find her people. Her family.

They couldn't all be dead, could they?

She tore up the sanctuary, looking for anything, anyone. And the fire. It followed her, blazing after her. She had to find her family before she too became engulfed in flames.

She had to find them...

"Listener! Listener! Wake up!" Cicero's voice finally broke through her dream. The nightmare dissipated.

"Oh, thank Sithis. Dear Listener has awoken!" Cicero's sing-song voice sounded relieved. Cynn's eyes opened, and she clenched her sweaty palms.

"What...Where's the fire? Where's my family? Oh, Sithis, my family..." She moaned, and then sat up, looking straight at Cicero, rage in her eyes. She snatched his collar, pulling his face close to hers as she snarled at him. "Cicero...where is my family?"

"The Brotherhood is where it has always been, Listener! Here, in your sanctuary! Please, Listen—" She interrupted his rambling.

"Cicero," She said with a small voice, letting him go, realizing her mistake. "I'm sorry, I really am…I didn't mean to jump on you like that…It's just, I thought that something had happened…I thought my dream was real…"

"Cicero forgives!" Cicero told her. "Will you tell Cicero about this dream? Cicero only wishes to help!"

"You do?" Cynn said, looking at him with a small smile. She felt a little guilty for nearly attacking Cicero like that, when he only meant to serve her. Sure, she could kill a few parents, but she couldn't be rude to one of her own family members. "Well…I had another nightmare about the fire. It was…it was horrible." She wrapped her arms around herself and frowned at the covers of her bed.

"How can Cicero help his listener?" Cicero asked.

"I…I'm fine. I don't need help. It was just a dream. If I can survive through the real thing, I can survive through this." She said with a small chuckle, the image of her nightmare fading from her mind. Unlike her usual dreams, she could remember her nightmare very clearly, which made her slightly uneasy. It was then that Cynn realized with a start that she was drenched in cold sweat.

"If you say so…" Cicero said, attempting a small smile, though a shadow of concern still lingered on his face.

"Cicero, would you mind leaving me? I need to clean myself up." She murmured, slightly embarrassed for him to see her as such a mess.

"Of course, of course. Cicero will leave now." Cicero said cheerfully, leaving the room, closing the door behind him.

Cynn got to her feet, stepping over to a corner of her room that neglected to have furniture. She fiddled with a small stone on the wall before the wall opened to a tunnel. It was one of her many secret exits out of the Dawnstar Sanctuary, one of the recent ones that she'd had put in when she'd bought all the upgrades for the sanctuary. It's purpose was to serve as an escape route if soldiers ever invaded. Again.

She shuddered as she recalled the invasion at the original Sanctuary, the one that had wiped out 2/3 of her Brotherhood. It resembled her nightmare in many ways, and she decided to banish it from her mind. Grabbing a second set of the Shrouded Armour that she always wore, she crept down the tunnel, closing the wall behind her. She didn't need a torch; there were small openings in the roof spaced just far enough apart to light her way. She'd had those put in, too. They were very convenient.

After just a short walk, she reached the end of the tunnel. It opened up at an abandoned beach on the Sea of Ghosts. It was a perfect place to get a bath, providing there weren't any slaughterfish or horkers around.

Rarely did anybody wander this side of Skyrim; she didn't worry about anybody stumbling upon her little bathing place, and if they did, she would simply kill them.

Stepping over to her usual fire pit, she lit a fire, to keep herself warm as she shed her clothing. Her thin, elven frame shone against the moonlight, and she again thanked the Gods for making sure nobody was out on this beach on this beautiful, cold night.

Hardcore as she was, she didn't mind the freezing temperature of the air, or the even colder water. She simply cast a flame spell over the water to heat it up a little, and dove in. She somehow felt even more naked without her beloved Blade of Woe in her hand. She'd left it with the pile of clothes on the beach, and she hated being without a weapon.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps, and out of the foggy darkness came a shape, a human shape. She shrunk into the water, only her yellow cat-like eyes and her nose above the waves, her burgundy hair flaming around her in the cold, cold water.

But somehow, the person saw her, and a voice arose from the mist.

"Cynn?"

"Who are you?" She asked, getting up slightly, so now her chin barely brushed the water. She didn't bother to keep the snarl out of her voice.

"Don't you recognize me? I should think anybody in Skyrim would recognize me by now…"

"Ulfric?" She asked the darkness, her jaw literally dropping a little.

"Yes! I've finally tracked you down, Cynn." Ulfric exclaimed happily.

"What, did I kill your cousin or something? Is that why you're here? Vengeance?"

"What would make you think that? Do I look like I'm trying to kill you? No…I have a contract for you, my dear."

"Couldn't you choose a better time for this? Like, say, when I'm not naked?"

"Oh, you're naked? I hardly noticed. Thanks for the information." He stepped over to the fire. "Oh, and by the way, if I were trying to kill you, this would be the most perfect setup…You're weaponless, aren't you?"

"No, I'm not. I still have fists, don't I? And I've always been good with fire spells…" she informed him. "Do you think you could at least wait until I've gotten my clothes on before you propose this…contract? And why couldn't you just perform the Black Sacrament like everybody else?"

Ulfric smiled, his features lit up by the light of the fire. He turned around to permit her to dress in privacy. A very foolish move on his part, but she didn't mind too much. "I didn't perform the Black Sacrament because it's impossible to gain privacy in a castle like mine."

"I see." She muttered, getting into her armour, putting the sweaty, smelly armour in her inventory. "You can turn around now." She told him, just as she was adjusting her cowl.

"Now, let's get down to business." Ulfric said, facing her again, his hands in his pockets.

"Yes, yes, tell me…who is going to die?" She said, smiling now. She was much more comfortable now that she knew she could fight back, were Ulfric to attack.

"General Tullius. I'm sure you've heard of him? Well I've decided that I want him dead. I'm just tired of him, you understand."

"And the payment? I'm assuming good pay for a job like this…"

"How does…15,000 septims sound to you?"

"Sounds wonderful. What are the details?"

"You cannot tell anybody, not even your, ahem, family about this contract."

"But the Night Mother knows. She always knows."

"I thought you were called the Listener because you're the only one who can hear her? Regardless, you cannot tell them. I do not trust them like I trust you."

"It is _very_ unwise to trust me." She said, putting emphasis on the 'very'. "But…I suppose I can leave out this little contract…As long as it doesn't require any harm to come to my family. I'm very protective of my family, Ulfric…" She said, running a finger along the sharp edge of her blade.

"I can see that. But, I assure you, this contract won't involve or endanger any of your family members." He said, sounding rather sure of himself.

"So be it then, it's bound in blood. Tullius will die." She said, grinning slightly.

"Don't let me down, Dragonborn." Ulfric said, turning away to leave. Cynn froze, her eyes glued to the back of his head. _How did he know?_

"How do you know what I am?" She demanded, her mouth barely moving as her teeth were clenched so tight. She rushed in front of him to stop him from leaving, holding the blade to his chest. Nobody was supposed to know…Nobody. Nobody could know that the leader of the Dark Brotherhood was also the Savior of Skyrim, Slayer of the World-Eater.

AHHHH! Tell me what you think! I don't usually write fanfictions, this is actually my first in a long time, and it's my first fanfic of the Elder Scrolls as well. I'd love to hear what you think; hopefully it will encourage me to keep writing! :D


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes:** Cynn is pronounced as "Sin". Just so you know. x'D

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When she didn't receive a response, she asked again; "How do you know what I am?" Her voice was but a snarl on the wind. After she had defeated Alduin, she had promised herself a life of power, a life of neither the Blades or the Graybeards. A life of the Dark Brotherhood, a life of serving Sithis and the Night Mother.

And that was what she had done. She had vowed she would no longer be a savior; rather, she would be the bringer of death. Both of her names were known across Skyrim; the name of the Dragonslayer, "Amaranth"; and the name of the Assassin, "Cynn".

"It was just a wild guess. I thought your face looked familiar…Back in Helgen, you remember? I never meant to startle you so…"

"Never meant to?" She growled, her eyes glaring at him with hatred. "Think next time before you call me that. If there is a next time. I may have to kill you now."

"You don't have to kill me. I swear that I haven't told anybody who you are, and never will. I have a rebellion to run, you know."

"Yes, yes, mighty Ulfric, I have heard of your achievements." She said spitefully. "You are a fool to come here alone. You must really want Tullius dead. I suppose…I suppose I will let you go, for now."

"Thank you, Cynn. I will now take my leave." He said, stepping around her after she didn't move out of the way. Cynn didn't look at him as he left. She was too busy trying to calm herself. Perhaps…perhaps she just needed to kill somebody.

And Tullius was the perfect candidate.

With small, quick breaths, she hurried down the hidden tunnel to the Sanctuary, emerging in her room. After closing the rock wall behind her, she left her room, and searched for Nazir.

She very nearly told Nazir where she was going, but stopped herself just in time. "Nazir, I'll be away for a few days. Look after everyone for me, will you?"

"Of course, Listener. Just be back before the end of the week, we need you to receive contracts. Might I ask where you are going?"

"Just taking a bit of a break. You heard me screaming in my sleep earlier, didn't you?"

"Er…"He looked a little uncomfortable. "Yes, yes I did. I suppose a break would be helpful to you, wouldn't it?"

"Yes, it would. Thank you, Nazir, my brother. Hopefully I won't be gone for too long." She murmured, half to herself. She prayed to the Night Mother that she wouldn't somehow meet her end on this contract. She wasn't yet ready to meet Sithis.

And without another word to another soul, she left the Sanctuary through the regular exit, hoping that nobody would see her and start spreading rumours that "Somebody had emerged from the dreaded black door!"

She crept around the back of a large rock wall on the side of the beach, and found Shadowmere there. With a small grunt she mounted the horse, and the moment her heels brushed Shadowmere's sides, the horse took off at a steady trot.

She was off to Solitude.

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She was only half way to Marthol when she felt the sting of loneliness. She was only a few hours into her travels, but it was starting to feel like forever. With a small smile, she realized that she wasn't alone. At least, not for long.

At once, she stopped Shadowmere and held out her hand, open palmed, to the west. She whispered a few silent words and summoned Lucien LaChance, Speaker for the Black Hand long ago.

He appeared in a sphere of blue and purple lightning, his transparent blue body standing out against the cold setting behind him.

"Shadowmere, my old and dear friend." He greeted Shadowmere, walking up to the horse and placing a spectral hand on his muzzle.

"Oh, and the Listener of the Brotherhood, too. My, isn't this a treat?"

"Lucien." Cynn greeted her spectral assassin. "How are things in the Void?" She asked politely.

"They are well. Sithis is pleased with what you have made of the Brotherhood. You are a good Listener."

"And…what does he think of my current contract?" She asked uncertainly, slightly afraid of the answer.

"Sithis does not appreciate you keeping this, 'contract' from the Brotherhood, but a kill is a kill, and he respects that." Lucien said without emotion.

"You mean he's not angry with me?"

"Our Dread Father's feelings about you are his own. I cannot delve that far into the Void." Lucien said. "Now, why did you summon me? I don't see any threats about…"

"Oh, I was just feeling lonely." She replied honestly. "And you're the only one I can really talk to right now."

Lucien didn't respond, he simply smiled.

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They did not rest in Marthol; rather, they just went around it. Cynn often found it was easier to just avoid contact with common people altogether.

It was nearly morning, Cynn observed. And they were only halfway to Solitude.

"This is too slow." She said aloud. "Hey, Lucien, why don't you hop up behind me on Shadowmere? Then we can go as fast as we please."

"Of course, Listener." Lucien said, and instantly he was behind her, his cold, dead hands gripping her waist, thought she hardly felt it, as he was but a ghost.

They took off, galloping down the road, Marthol behind them. As they drew closer and closer to Solitude, the climate got steadily colder, but Cynn didn't mind. She was used to it, exceptionally used to it for a Wood Elf.

Even Shadowmere neglected to show signs of either fatigue or coldness. Cynn pondered how old this horse was…After all, it had come out of a frothing black pool of bubbles, which wasn't normal horse birth at all. And then Lucien, an ancient Speaker for the black hand, seemed to know the horse.

Perhaps the horse isn't really alive at all…

They made it to Solitude in record time, but by the time they got there, it was dusk.

"So, how do you plan on slaughtering this pig, Tullius?" Lucien asked curiously, once they were alone in a room of an Inn just inside Solitude.

"Without much effort. I'm going to simply kill him in his sleep. Ulfric didn't mention _how_ I'm supposed to kill him…I'm going to be lazy about it."

"How original. How _ingenious_." Lucien commented with a smirk.

"Are you suggesting I should do something more complicated?" Cynn asked.

"What's a kill if it's not challenging?" Lucien asked innocently.

"I expect it should be difficult to sneak into the Barracks…"

"Not difficult enough." Lucien scoffed in reply.

"What, do you want me to just kill him in front of all his people?"

"That's _exactly_ what I want you to do." Lucien said. Cynn could hear the pleasure in his voice.

"Really? What good would that do? I'm a professional assassin, not some petty killer."

"What's the difference? I say you should make an example of him. Nobody will want to oppose the Stormcloaks if you kill their leader in full view of everyone…"

"The Brotherhood already has a reputation. A good one. For killing the Emperor. I'm not going to mess that up."

"Fine, do what you want. I just don't think you should kill him so effortlessly."

"Alright, alright, I'll do it your way."

"Wonderful. I'll be watching. I expect you won't need me on this contract, so I'll be taking my leave now." He said, his transparent frame fading in the air. Cynn scowled at where he had been. She was beginning to prefer loneliness to having Lucien around.

"Alright, Cynn, let's get this over with." She told herself, pulling on some normal clothes over her light armour.

And then, leaving no sign that she had ever been at the inn, she left, her skirt billowing behind her as she exited the front door of the inn.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes:** I just noticed this is my 3rd chapter in 3 days. Apperantly, I'm going on a weird writing kick. x'D Hopefully my dedication to this story is improving my not-so-great writing abilities!

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"Amaranth?" A voice asked, just as she was making her way to the courtyard of the castle. She turned around, a blatant smile on her face. She had to fool this person, whoever it was. She was sure it was just another commoner looking for a word with the Dragonborn. But her fake smile melted right off of her face when she saw who it was.

"_Hadvar_?" she questioned incredulously, her amber eyes wide. To say this was a major surprise was an understatement. "What are you doing here?" She asked him.

"Didn't I mention I work for the Legion? Anyway, I just got back…I can vouch for you to Tullius now!" _Of course!_ Cynn thought, a smile reappearing on her face. _I'd forgotten that he has contacts within the Legion…_

"It's great to see you!" Cynn said warmly, pretending she was thrilled to see him. "I was just on my way to talk to Tullius as well! I've taken what you said to heart, and I've decided joining the Legion would be best for me." _So long as nobody recognizes me as Cynn…_ She thought cattily. But she doubted that was a possibility. She knew how different she looked without her cowl and Shrouded armor. Nobody could mistake her for the great assassin, Cynn, leader of the Brotherhood. The only thing that could resemble Cynn in the slightest was her yellow eyes, and that was even unlikely, as yellow eyes weren't too uncommon for Wood Elves. Luckily, Cynn always wore her Cowl in public, so nobody could be able to see her bright burgundy hair. Amaranth was the one who was known for the hair, not Cynn.

"I'm glad. I always knew that you had that Legion spark within you." Hadvar said. She could tell that his smile was very much a genuine one.

"I can't say the same, but it seems my path has been made clear now. Shall we go speak with Tullius now?" She asked, imploringly.

"Yes, lets." He said, and they began trudging up the steep slope that led to the courtyard.

"So, I hear you're the Dragonborn? That makes you an even greater asset to the Legion." Hadvar commented, smiling at her.

Cynn resisted the urge to scowl. She didn't want to be an 'asset' to anybody, with the exception of her family. She also disliked being called out on being 'The Dragonborn'. It made her uneasy, as she wasn't used to being referred to as such. But, if she was going to live a double life, she had better live it convincingly. She had to pretend that nothing could make her happier than killing dragons, rather than killing people, which she was much more prone to doing.

"Yes, I'm the Dragonborn." Those words…how they sickened her. But she said them anyway.

"You don't seem to happy about that." Hadvar commented, and she checked herself. She was allowing herself to look unhappy…that was intolerable. She let out a convincing chuckle.

"Don't let my mood deceive you. I am truly blessed to be the Dragonborn, I really am. I'm just…going through a bad time in my life right now." She fakely confessed, slapping on a pouty face. Instead of making her feel rotten, lying so much made her feel exhilarated. Alive. She just loved deceiving people.

"I'm sorry to hear that…" Hadvar said, looking at her as if he wanted to give her a hug, but stopped himself. "Well, if you're ready, we should speak to Tullius now." Hadvar said, still looking concerned.

"I'm ready." She told him, and he opened the door to the Legion's headquarters for her, like any gentleman would.

"…And I've been told that Ulfric has hired an _Assassin_ to come after me. Unbelievable. And it's a good assassin, too. Possibly the best, if they're at the top of the Dark Brotherhood. I cannot believe this…" Tullius was telling one of his men, an incredulous tone dripping off of his voice.

_Wait, what? Tullius _knows_ about the contract? How could this be?_ Cynn thought, her mouth slightly agape. How could she perform her contract under these conditions? Had Ulfric set her up?

"Ahem, Tullius?" Hadvar coughed, to make his presence known. He had just stepped in behind her, so she doubted he had heard what had been said about the assassin.

"Yes?" Tullius asked normally enough, and then seemed to notice who he was talking to. "Hadvar!" He exclaimed, and Cynn's inside's writhed at the pure joy radiating off of the General. "I can't believe it…you're alive! After all that happened in Helgen…I never thought…"

"You can thank her that I'm alive at all." Hadvar said, referring to Cynn as 'her'.

"And who is she? Wait…weren't you one of the prisoners in Helgen?" Tullius asked, looking at Cynn with a puzzled look on his face.

"Yes, but she's also the Dragonborn. And she's saved my life, as I said. She wants to join the Legion, and I'm vouching for her."

"Oh, splendid! I'm sure the Legion could pardon whatever it is you did to be at Helgen that day, with one of our finest vouching for you." Tullius said warmly, his eyes glittering, just a bit.

"I'm willing to prove myself worthy of the Legion, if you have any doubts of me." Cynn said, her façade masking her real feelings for the General. Oh, how she wanted to kill him right then and there…it was such a wonderful opportunity…But somehow, she just couldn't. Hadvar had already established her as the Dragonborn, and she just couldn't ruin that reputation. She just couldn't, no matter what Lucien or Ulfric or anybody wanted her to do.

"I'm sure that will be unnecessary…" Tullius told her reassuringly. "Anyway, feel free to come and go as you please. And remember to come back here if you ever want a mission. I'm sure dragonslaying is your first priority, but the Legion could really use your help. We're stretched a bit thin, if you haven't noticed, and we need all the men, and women, we can get."

"Thank you, General. But if you'll excuse me, I have some business I forgot to take care of before coming."

"Of course, of course." Tullius said, waving her away, and she left accordingly.

She knew what she had to do.

She had to speak to Ulfric about this.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes:** Might take a break from writing this story…I'm beginning to suffer from Writer's block. If you could offer some words of motivation, I'd be ever so grateful 3

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Luckily for Cynn, there was a Stormcloak camp stationed nearby, in the mountains. She recalled passing it on her way to Solitude. It remained a mystery to her how such a place could go seemingly unnoticed for so long, and she told herself that she wouldn't be the one to get the Stormcloaks caught.

She double, triple, and quadruple checked that she wasn't being followed, by wandering down several back alleys that turned back on each other. She maintained the belief that she wasn't paranoid, just a little cautious. Regardless, if somebody had been following her, she would know.

And then, deciding it was safe, she wandered out of Solitude, greeting any guards she stumbled upon with a smile and a nod, trying to be as unmemorable as possible, and also trying not to give the impression that she was wearing armor underneath her dress, or in possession of several knives and blades.

After a short ride on Shadowmere, she blazed down the hidden trail to the hidden Stormcloak encampment. On her way there, she donned her normal cowl. It didn't match the normal clothes she was wearing, but she wanted to feel secure. She didn't want any of the Stormcloak people to know who she was.

"I'm here to speak with Ulfric." She told one of the Stormcloak guards.

"What? How did you know he was here? Who are you?" The male guard said, his face portraying a hint of astonishment. He seemed surprised that she even knew the camp was there.

"I'm…a friend. You need not fear me." Cynn said slowly, improvising her words.

The guard seemed to rethink what he had been going to say, and stepped aside. It probably didn't hurt that Shadowmere, a horse that looked like it had been to the Void and back, what with it's red eyes and black coat, was breathing billows of hot, dead air into the guard's face. "Just don't cause any trouble. If they hear I let you in, I'll be the one they blame."

"Of course, of course." Cynn said, smiling toothily at the guard as she trotted past. Dismounting, and then tying the reins of the horse to a nearby post, she decided it would be best to just ask somebody where Ulfric was.

"Excuse me, but can you tell me where Ulfric's tent is?" She asked a normal-enough looking strapping young man. He smiled at her.

"Sure. Just over there, the one with the two guards at the enterance. He probably won't like you bothering him though…" He said, and she felt his eyes surveying her face. "You look kinda familiar…Do I know you?"

"No, I don't think so…" She said with polite uncertainty.

"Hmmm…okay. Well, I'm Trevon. It's nice to meet you."

"Pleasure to make the acquaintance. " Cynn said, smiling warmly at him. It was obvious that he had already taken a liking to her. Too bad he probably wouldn't like her so much if he knew who she was.

"Mind telling me your name?" He inquired. She laughed, shaking her head.

"My name is—" She was suddenly interrupted.

"Trevon! Don't you have work to do?" Ulfric was suddenly at Cynn's side, his eyes daring Trevon to stay. He seemed almost…angry at the young man, though Cynn did not know why.

"Er, uh, yes, I do, now that you mention it…I'll be off then!" Trevon said, hurrying away, not looking behind him. Cynn turned to Ulfric.

"Let's go to my tent…I don't really want anybody else to overhear our conversation." Ulfric said in a low voice, leading the way to the nearby tent, with two guards stationed at the entrance. Closing the flap behind him, he turned to her.

"Why are you here? Tullius isn't dead yet. If he were, I would know." Ulfric said, looking at her. The irritation had disappeared from his face, and it was replaced with a sort of tender-but-stern look.

"He knows I've been hired. How does he know, Ulfric? Did _you_ set me up to be killed?" Cynn growled, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"What? Cynn, no!" He exclaimed, seemingly astonished at the thought.

"So how does he know? I was under the impression that only me and you were to know of this contract…"

"I…I don't know. If there's a leak in the Stormcloaks, I will find out. Don't worry, I don't expect you to try and kill him under these circumstances."

"Good." Cynn said simply. "In other news, I've been inducted into the Legion by my friend Hadvar. Well, Amaranth has, anyway." Cynn said, scowling.

"That should be helpful in your mission." Ulfric said, and Cynn looked at him with a puzzled look on her face.

"How?"

"Because you can easily get in and out of the empire's walls. It means they trust you, so they won't expect you to turn on them." Ulfric said, smiling grandly.

"I don't really want to jeopardize my 'Dragonborn' reputation…" Cynn said, uncertainly, biting her lower lip. She stopped when she noticed Ulfric staring at her.

"Then just do it as Cynn. As your true self. Let them get a glimpse of you, and they'll never suspect Amaranth of doing it." Ulfric said, shrugging, but still with a smile on his face.

"I suppose that might work…But I'm not very confident in that…" She paused. "I suppose I should be going…Hadvar will be wondering where I am."

"Of course. Well, before you go, take this. It's a letter of recognition that will allow you entrance to any Stormcloak encampment. That should make it easier for you to find me when you need me." Ulfric said, holding a scroll of parchment for her to take. Hesitantly, she took it, his had barely brushing hers, but it sent a tingle down her spine. She shivered, and then left the tent ducking her head. She felt wired all of a sudden, like some sort of energy was rushing through her. The feeling vaguely reminded her of the heat of battle.

But, putting that strange feeling aside, she felt a little lost.

She wondered where she should go next. She probably should wait until the news of an assassin after Tullius became a little less of an issue, and for the Legion to let their guard down.

She supposed now was a good time to get on Tullius's good side, by assisting him on missions. Hopefully missions that didn't include attacking the Stormcloaks.

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Thanks for reading! And also; much love to all who favorited this story! It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside 3

I'd also love for you to take the time and review! 3


	5. Chapter 5

Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't updated in a while…Skyrim sorta dominates my life right now. Playing it, I mean. Not writing fanfics of it, sadly.

But I swear to try and update more often! What has it been, a few weeks? That's too long…

Anyway, hope you enjoy this little chapter I put together especially for you :D

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"Speak with the Legate Rikke." Was all Tullius said when Cynn implied that she wanted a mission. Tullius seemed busy, his eyes glued to the table which portrayed different settlements and cities, all of which having a single blue or red marker stabbed in the center of it. Well, all except for Whiterun.

Cynn smirked momentarily, before turning to look at the Legate. She was an able-looking warrior, and her armor was battleworn from probably countless bloody battles. _It would have been tricky to kill Tullius while she was there, anyway…_ Cynn reflected, remembering how Lucien had wanted her to kill Tullius in full sight of everyone.

"So, you're the Dragonborn, eh?" Rikke commented as Cynn made her way over.. Cynn nodded curtly, but didn't say anything. "I suppose you're looking for some sort of mission? Well, don't think that just because you're the Dragonborn I'm going to make this easy for you."

"I understand." Cynn said shortly, holding her hands behind her back, awaiting her orders. It almost made her feel sick, the thought of doing what somebody else wanted her to do. She didn't like following orders; she was above such things.

"Good. Now, what I want you to do is clear out Fort Hraggstad. Do you know where that is?" Rikke asked her, and Cynn felt the Legate's eyes trying to see through her.

"Yes." Cynn replied quietly. "What's at Fort Hraggstad?" She couldn't help but inquire.

"Bandits. Lots and lots of them. Kill them all."

"Isn't that a bit…challenging for an initiation?" Cynn asked slowly, her brow furrowed.

"Well, yes, but I kinda' like you. I'm not going to pretend that you're just a regular initiate. You kill dragons. I expect you can handle a fort of bandits."

"You won't be disappointed. The fort will belong to the Legion in no time." Cynn said, a small smile curling her lips. At least this mission was something that she _enjoyed_ doing.

"That's what I like to hear." The Legate said, a smile upon her lips as well. Cynn's smile faded as she turned away, and she prepared herself for the battle ahead.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Fort Hraggstad was a gloomy, forlorn looking place, at least from far away. As she was coming up to the Fort, Cynn pulled out a bow and a handful of steel arrows. With a blatant smile on her face, she shot all of the bowmen, one by one, right in the head. She watched as they too tumbled and died. She then put her bow and arrows away and pulled out her Blade of Woe. She crept up to the fort, and she could sense the alarm radiating off of the place and it's inhabitants. With the most menacing smile she could manage, she strode into the encampment, her eyes flickering from one frightened face to the next.

She didn't say a word as she dove into battle; she didn't have to.

She sliced and cut and severed and decapitated, that smile still plastered to her face. How she loved watching the lifeblood of her victims trickle out of the wounds she left. Sithis will be pleased, even if she was following orders. He would have to be pleased, with so many sorry souls falling into the Void.

When she had finally finished, and was sure that no living being remained in the area, she left the place, kicking any bodies she could as she passed. She'd made a fair amount of gold this day, nearly 300 septims. Her mouth started watering as she remembered the supposed 15,000 septims she would get for the death of just one person; Tullius.

Cynn fingered her blade as she walked back to Solitude. Her face was tired and she was feeling a little lightheaded. Perhaps she had outdone herself? After all, it was rare for her to go straight into an actual battle like that. She was much more used to skulking in the shadows, killing when it was only too easy.

She wasn't meant for battle like that…

With little deliberation, Cynn decided to set up camp when it became dark. She was tired and she missed her family. How she missed them…

She fell asleep with little effort; almost as soon as she had the bed made was she curled up inside it, a fire only feet from her, warmth flooding her. But for some strange reason, her inside remained cold. Her core never warmed up.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

When Cynn awoke, she awoke in a completely strange and forlorn place. Her wrists were firmly strapped together, as were her ankles. She had also been liberated from her shrouded armour and was now donned in rags.

She blinked several times, willing herself to wake up, before she realized that it was not a dream. She looked around the room that she was now in. She was dumped somewhat uncomfortably in the cold corner, the stones of the wall pressing coldly against her back. There were no windows, and there was only one door.

Someone emerged from it.

"Hello, Cynn." The man said with a cold voice, his ragged black hair falling into his eyes, his crisp blue eyes staring at her icily. She winced at the mention of her name. This person knew her.

She chose not to respond, and instead proceeded to try and fight out of her bindings. It only took her a few moments to realize her effort was futile.

"I see you've found out that you won't get out of those bindings anytime soon. Congratulations." He murmured almost warmly, taking a few steps over to her. He crouched down and looked her in the face, and she snarled, her expression malicious.

"Oh, gee, you're so scary, all tied up like that."

"You don't know what you're getting into…" She warned, scowling at him.

"I rather think I do. I'm speaking with the Listener of the Dark Brotherhood, am I not?" He asked rhetorically. Cynn looked away from his pale face, her eyes resting upon the wall.

"What do you want?" She decided to ask, still staring at the wall.

"Me? Oh, I just want to know who hired you to kill everybody in Fort Hraggstad. See, I would suspect it being the Legion's doing, as I've expected them for monthes, but no, I doubt they would hire somebody like you. I found something in your clothes…a note, from Ulfric, permitting you enterence into all of his encampments. Was it him? Did he send you?"

"I don't have to tell you." Cynn said, still scowling at the unknown man.

"I think you might want to." The man said, smiling, as he pulled out her very own Blade of Woe from behind him. Her eyes widened. He wasn't really going to try and…and torture it out of her, was he?

He ran a finger along the blade, just as Cynn had done so many times when she was feeling thoughtful. Her scowl turned into a look of pure disgust.

"Stop that." She couldn't help but let the command slip out of her mouth, and before she could even cringe away, her own blade ripped through the rags she was wearing and dug deep inside the side of her waist. She felt for the first time the sheer bite of the blade, the corroded edges digging into her flesh. She felt the blood drip down her side, the warmth of it almost tickling her. Her breath suddenly felt ragged and forced, and shock began to envelop her mind. She couldn't speak, she could hardly breathe, and she couldn't move. It was somehow overwhelming to her, even though the situation itself wasn't that horrible, as it was only her life in danger.

"I don't care who sent you anymore. All I care about it that I avenge my people. You're going to die, Cynn. You're going to _die, _and so is everybody else in your little family. I'm tired of that brotherhood of yours, and it's time everything end—" He was cut off as the door behind him creaked open.

"What was that?" He demanded to know, glaring at her.

She just shook her head. She did not know. She feared that she didn't know anything anymore.

The man straightened to his feet and strode to the door, poking his head out of it.

And suddenly, without warning, there was a sword protruding out of his midsection.

Cynn, who was starting to believe that everything was just some demented dream that she was going through, was starting to shiver horribly.

With one last moan, she closed her eyes, slumped against the wall. She knew that she wasn't dying; rather, she was probably fainting, or perhaps blacking out from loss of blood.

Either way, she thought she heard a voice. It was a concerned, deep voice, and it almost sounded frantic.

Faintly, through the cloud that covered her mind, she heard a voice call her name over and over again, until finally, it said.

"Cynn, it's me, Ulfric. Please, please wake up…"

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DUN DUN DUNNNNN.

Sorry it's such a cliffhanger lol but I had to end it here. It was just such a perfect place to end it… and wow, this chapter got kinda graphic…

Don't worry, I'm gonna post the next chapter soon. Hopefully in less than a few days time. So come back when you get the chance!

And reviews are AMAZINGLY appreciated. I love them. Getting reviews encourages me to write more…and if I didn't get any reviews…I probably wouldn't have gotten past chapter 1 haha x'D

Anyway, thanks for reading, I really appreciate it. *hearts*

Oh, and question; Do you think my writing has improved at all from when I first started this story? Thanks for the feedback!


	6. Chapter 6

HA. Told you I would post again soon ;)

Anywho, enjoyyyy ;)

Love you all! *hearts*

_VvVvVvVvVvV_

"I think…I think I've got it." A voice was saying, just as Cynn was coming to. "Yes yes, see how her breath is coming back? That's a sign that she's going to live. Her lung was severely severed, however, so she's going to need some bed rest. I did my very best sewing it back up, but you never know…"

"At least…at least she's not dead." Another voice replied, sounding strangely tired.

"Ulfric…Have you realized you've not told me anything about who this strange woman is? I'm rather curious about her…You seem to care for her an awful lot." The other voice said, almost complaining.

"There's a reason I asked you in particular to do this, Fraumont…You're from Cyrodiil, you don't know her. Anybody else would have recognized her. What does this tell you?"

"You, er, don't want me to know who this is, do you?" Fraumont inquired quietly, sounding put down.

"No." Ulfric replied simply, and then Cynn decided to open her eyes, her wide yellow eyes, slightly slanted, which marked her as an elf.

"…Ulfric?" She asked, her voice incredibly scratchy and hoarse. Her eyes had trouble adjusting to the light, even though the room was rather dimply lit. She could glimse a forest doused in darkness outside a nearby window. They must not be in any of the cities…And it was apperantly very late at night.

"C—Yes?" Ulfric nearly said her name, and suddenly she felt a coarse and calloused hand gripping her soft and fair one. "Are you okay?"

Cynn thought the question was rather daft, however she didn't feel like saying so. She simply struggled a little in order to sit up. She allowed Ulfric to put some extra pillows behind her to support her. She looked at the man she assumed was Fraumont, and wasn't pleased with his appearance He was dressed in light leather armour, all but his hands, which were bare and covered in blood. Cynn almost cringed at the sight of his hands; she had the sneaking suspicion that it was _her_ blood. She studied Fraumont's face. He was a dark elf, but didn't wear that smirk that so many dark elves were accustomed to using. In fact, he looked rather befuddled and hopelessly confused.

Then she turned to Ulfric. He wasn't dressed in his regular fine clothes. Actually, he sported some very normal looking clothes, and Cynn decided she preferred these clothes to the horribly rich ones that screamed royalty. Finally, after she was done observing the two of them, she said in a quiet, shaky voice "I'm not sure...Where am I? What happened? And where is that…that man?" She was embarrassed by how small and scared her voice sounded. Disgusted, even. But her voice was simply echoing how she felt; scared and small.

"Fraumont? Would you mind leaving us for a moment? I'll call you if you're needed." Fraumont nodded, before leaving the room with a small sigh.

"There, that's better. I can explain it all to you now." Ulfric said tenderly, still gripping her hand.

"A man, I don't know his name, apparently kidnapped you in the middle of the night whilst you were sleeping. He took you back to the fort where you slaughtered all of his comerades, took everything you had and dressed you in ragged clothing, and then locked you in one of the rooms of the fort. I think the reason you didn't awake sooner was because he force-fed you sleeping herbs while you were asleep, but I'm not sure. Anyway, when you finally awoke, I think you spoke with him and then he decided to leave a laceration in your side with your own weapon. And then I finally found your room after searching the entire fort, and I killed him. Does that sound about right?" Ulfric said very quickly, his grip on her hand tightening and loosening at different times while he told the story. It became incredibly tight while he explained the part about the strange man cutting her, and loosened when he talked of killing the man.

"…Okay, I guess it kind of does…I have a few questions, though…How did you know where I was?" Cynn asked, her voice still weak, thought that didn't hide the fact that she was suspicious of him.

"Uh…I actually had one of my agents tracking you…"

"_What_? Why would you do that?" Cynn exclaimed, surprise suddenly encompassing her voice. She had been under the impression that she had complete privacy, aside from Sithis and Lucien and the Night Mother all watching her. She'd even left Shadowmere back in Solitude, just so she could be alone!

"I just….I was worried, okay? And look, it ended up saving your life…"

"I suppose it did, but still! You could have told me."

"I didn't exactly trust you to trust one of my men so easily…"

"Whatever." Cynn muttered, then looked at her arms, which had become crossed across her chest. She caught a glimpse of the bandages tightly wound around her waist, and frowned. She could see some of her warm blood seeping through the bandages.

And then suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her, and she felt a sensation that reminded her of being stabbed in her side. It was agony, and she let out a weak scream. Ulfric seemed completely taken by surprise, and now both of his hands were on her cheeks, turning her face towards his. She shook herself free of his grasp and screamed again. It was just so painful and sudden, she had to scream to save her teeth from being crushed by how she would have grinded them. Her eyes became squeezed shut and she loosened up a little as the sensation faded. It felt almost worse than when the actual wound had been inflicted.

Her breath was heavy and uncontrolled when she finally opened her eyes again. There was now a dull pain at the back of her mind, and she tried her best to ignore it completely.

Fraumont was in the room again, feeling her forehead and looking in her eyes,

"Are you okay?" was the first thing he asked when he noticed her eyes were open again. Cynn just shook her head, unable to force the words from her mouth. She felt so weak and tired all of a sudden, and wished she could go to sleep.

"I'm sorry…it seems as though your muscles spasmed…It can be incredibly painful. Do you want some painkillers to help with the spasms? They're likely to happen again, and often."

Cynn just nodded and watched as he pulled some herbs out of cowhide bag. "Here, swallow these. If you can. You jaw may be locked up."

"I think…I think I can." Cynn murmured, realizing that was why she couldn't talk. She reached out a hand and let Fraumont drop the leafy herbs into her hand, and she threw them into her mouth, swallowing them frantically. She noticed at once that the pain at the back of her mind was beginning to fade.

"Ulfric…Fraumont…if you don't mind, I'd like to try and get some sleep…I'm so tired…Sithis, I'm so tired…" Cynn didn't realize that she had said that last part aloud, but doubted either Fraumont or Ulfric would recognize the term she had used

When she checked the expressions of both Fraumont and Ulfric, she realized that they had not even heard what she had said, because their expressions were the same.

"Yes, yes of course. You need some sleep to heal." Fraumont said, nodding knowingly.

Ulfric rose to his feet. "Want me to blow out the candle?" He asked tenderly, almost sounding nervous that she might explode with pain again.

"No, leave it." She replied. "But could you move all these pillows?" She asked him quietly.

"Yes, of course." He replied, and then removed the pillows from behind her back.

"Thanks."

"No problem." Ulfric said in response, his eyes locked with hers. She felt that same tingle running down her back that she had felt when he had given her that letter of admission into his camps, and she smiled faintly at him. She wondered why he was so nice and caring to such a lowly assassin.

"Goodnight, Ulfric."

"Goodnight." He replied, closing the door behind him.

And then, Cynn fell into a sea of sleep, not even dreaming because she was so tired.

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FILLER CHAPTER HAHA.

Hope you liked it…wrote it rather fast...I was anxious to finish this chapter because I thought you all might be frustrated with me for that horrible cliffhanger in the last chapter haha xD

As always, thanks for reading ! Reviews would be nice…


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